


Soft Light

by scullywolf



Series: TXF: Scenes in Between [47]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Gen, MSR, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-04-18 11:56:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4705175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scullywolf/pseuds/scullywolf





	Soft Light

_“Spontaneous human combustion?”_  
_“I have over a dozen case files. A human body is reduced to ash without any attendant burning or melting. Rapid oxidation without heat.”_  
_“Let’s just forget for the moment that there’s no scientific theory to support it.”_  
_“Okay.”_

After the elevator doors closed, he cleared his throat. “You know, there isn’t a whole lot in the way of scientific theory to support the phenomena I observed in Charlie Holvey’s hospital room, either. Or what you told me of your experience at the house.”

He wasn’t trying to pick a fight, exactly. He did marvel, though, at his partner’s ability to exhibit maximum skepticism with each new phenomenon they encountered, even as she witnessed all manner of things that defied conventional wisdom and scientific explanation. It had to take a very concerted effort, he thought, to continue pushing back against his theories after he had proven time and time again that he wasn’t a complete lunatic.

“Mulder, that’s not… that has nothing to do with…” she stammered. “I don’t know _what_ happened at that house. But I’m not going to assume that a logical explanation doesn’t exist just because I wasn’t able to find one. Nor am I willing to jump to the most extreme and unlikely explanation without at least trying to first apply proper investigative methods and rational analysis.”

That was fair enough, he supposed. He did have to admit that was one of the reasons he valued her as a partner, despite the fact that it was frustrating to have his theories questioned and challenged each and every time. It did make them a better investigative team, but that didn’t mean he necessarily enjoyed that phase they went through in nearly every case where she treated him like some sort of headcase.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and he decided to change the subject. “So, did you make a habit of regaling all your students with tales of your brilliant former partner?”

She ducked her head, but that didn’t obscure the flush that rose to her cheeks. It was frankly kind of adorable.

“It was common knowledge that we'd worked together," she said, stepping off the elevator.

"Detective Ryan said she'd heard _a lot_ about me. Sounds like more than just knowing that we were partners," he pressed, unable to keep from smirking.

“What can I say, Mulder? You have to admit we had some remarkable experiences in that first year. I thought it was useful for students to hear that they might see all sorts of things out in the field that they wouldn’t otherwise learn about at the Academy. And that…” The end of her sentence was lost in a murmur as she pushed ahead of him out the hotel doors.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that last bit.”

She squared her shoulders and affected nonchalance, though he didn’t fail to note that she wouldn’t look back at him. “That their learning wouldn’t end with graduation. That if they were lucky, they would end up with an assignment and with a partner who would teach them new things every day.”

He grinned, speeding up to walk around the front of their car, parked at the curb. He met her eyes over the top of the vehicle.

“Teach them about things like, oh I don’t know, spontaneous human combustion perhaps?”

She rolled her eyes, cheeks still pink and just a hint of a smile on her face. “Shut up, Mulder.”


End file.
